Meditation is an oft-used tool in the spiriutal toolbox, buy why? What are the purposes of meditation? What forms can it take? Who should venture to meditate? How does it fit into Pagan practice?
In this contemplative episode, Amanda and Jacob attune to the vibrational hum of the universe for an insightful and varied discussion about their experiences with meditative practice and how those fit into the Paganosphere. Along the way, there's talk about meditational goals, methods, types of meditation, journeying, the role of our senses, focus, attention, connection, altering consciousness, the use of mind-altering substances, self-knowledge, awareness, effort, using caution, expectations, and more...
Mailbag:
- Thanks to Sarah, Dylan, and Matthew!
- The Last Keepers (2013): http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1716767/
- Love Magic, by Lilith Dorsey: https://www.amazon.com/Love-Magic-Potions-Getting-Keeping/dp/1578635926/
Sharing Space:
- Elegant Yokai Apartment Life (anime): http://www.crunchyroll.com/elegant-yokai-apartment-life
- Spirit Circle (manga): http://www.crunchyroll.com/comics/manga/spirit-circle/volumes
Some Meditation Links:
- Meditation: In Depth (NIH): https://nccih.nih.gov/health/meditation/overview.htm
- Harvard neuroscientist: Meditation not only reduces stress, here’s how it changes your brain, by Brigid Schulte (The Washington Post): https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/inspired-life/wp/2015/05/26/harvard-neuroscientist-meditation-not-only-reduces-stress-it-literally-changes-your-brain/?utm_term=.501d2b657b31
Links:
Website: http://www.thepriestesses.com
Email: thepriestesses@gmail.com
Twitter: @ThePriestesses
Facebook: The Priestesses
Music: Rebecca E. Tripp (www.crystalechosound.com)
Money. What's it got to do with Pagan practice? How do we place value on our time and energy? What makes for wealth? And does luck or fortune have anything to do with it? In this deep pocket discussion, Amanda and Jacob are joined by small business owner and multi-modal practitioner, Hilary (the EC Energist herself)!
Skill, compensation, markets, the value of care workers, Star Trek economics, basic needs, economic justice, American Gods, debt, reciprocity, fortune, luck, fate, destiny, definitions of wealth, what gives value, time and energy, work, effort, responsibility, cows, the Norns, the Web of Wyrd, Under the Tuscan Sun, Where the Heart Is, serendipity, interdependence, survival skills, gifting, fair pricing, entitlement, organizing, facilitating, unconsidered costs, love offerings, adventures in customer service, and so abundantly more.
Sharing Space:
- Tarot
- EC Energist: http://ecenergist.com/
- EC Energist (Facebook): https://www.facebook.com/EauClaireEnergist/
- The Priestesses NEW Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thepriestesses
- On Your Money: https://www.onyourmoney.com/
- On Your Money (WPR): https://www.wpr.org/programs/your-money
Links:
Website: http://www.thepriestesses.com
Email: thepriestesses@gmail.com
Twitter: @ThePriestesses
Facebook: The Priestesses
Music: Rebecca E. Tripp (www.crystalechosound.com)
In this wonderfully grim exploration, Amanda, Jacob, and (returning friend) Dani go beyond the pale... for a hallowing chat with a most morbid special guest, Angie! Trained as a Death Midwife and Certified in 2011 by Nora Cedarwind Young, Angie is one of the founders of the Death Midwife movement. She is also a Rite of Passage Officiant, Senior Minister at Earth Traditions Church, Emeritus Board Member of the Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions, and Pagan Student Advisor at the University of Chicago. She is a member of the National Home Funeral Alliance and the National Chaplains Association. Angie is committed to educating individuals, small groups, families, and entire communities or church groups to proudly reclaim family directed choice at end of life. With many thanks to both her and our dear friend Wee Bee, it's with ghastly delight we present this edifying dance with the dead.
Treading along this mortal coil, there's talk about: End-of-life care and planning, funerary practices, body disposition, transitions, cultural views on death and dying, elder care, grief and mourning, rites of passage, ancestor work, prolonging life and death, closure, what Death Midwives do, comfort and intimacy, decomposition, and oodles more.
Sharing Space:
- Mushroom Death Suit (TED Talk): https://www.ted.com/talks/jae_rhim_lee
- Final Rights: Reclaiming the American Way of Death, by Lisa Carlson and Joshua Slocum: https://www.amazon.com/Final-Rights-Reclaiming-American-Death/dp/0942679342
- The Death Midwife: https://deathmidwife.org/
- Earth Traditions: http://www.earthtraditions.org/
- Threshold Singers of the Chippewa Valley: https://thresholdchoir.org/chippewa-valley
- Haides (Neokoroi): http://www.neokoroi.org/religion/gods/haides/
Links:
Website: http://www.thepriestesses.com
Email: thepriestesses@gmail.com
Twitter: @ThePriestesses
Facebook: The Priestesses
Music: Rebecca E. Tripp (www.crystalechosound.com)
In this insightful episode, the triumverate is joined by Shela, who's a local divination darling, seasoned tarot consultant, and creatrix of The Seer's Path website (an online community for exploring divination). Together, they look deep into the spread of all things divination and have a naturally clairvoyant time along the way!
Why is divination such a big part of Pagan practice? And just how is it supposed to work? What are the pros and cons of reading for yourself? Or for others? Why's Tarot so great? Can divination be a group experience? And do divinitory tools have consciousness? Open yourself the the limitless, find the wisdom revealed, and let spirit guide you on a journey through these questions and many, many more. The Queen of Nipples commands it!
Sharing Space:
- Soul Seer Tarot: http://www.soulseertarot.com/
- The Seer's Path: http://www.theseerspath.com/
- The Seer's Path (Facebook): https://www.facebook.com/seerspath/
- Once Upon A... SQUIRREL!: http://www.onceuponasquirrel.com/
- Aimee's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ajsprocket
Links:
Website: http://www.thepriestesses.com
Email: thepriestesses@gmail.com
Twitter: @ThePriestesses
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thepriestesses/
Music: Rebecca E. Tripp (http://www.crystalechosound.com)
What does love and trust mean in Paganism? And why does it matter in our relationships? Or to our loved ones, our communities, our practices, or ourselves? Does love and trust need to be "perfect?" Do they make us weak? In this ardent installment, Amanda and Jacob raise their cups to explore what's just so damn important about love and trust.
Drink deep with us, dear listeners, as we quaff the heady brew of: Communication, trauma, vulnerability, negotiating healthy boundaries, holding space, cognitive delusions and behavioral techniques, brokenness, perfection, self love, acceptance, expectations, faith, belief, doubt, intention, manifesting, proverbs about love, the types of love, balance, the economics of relationships, acts of creation, emotion and reason, justice, power, and so very much more.
Links:
Website: http://www.thepriestesses.com
Email: thepriestesses@gmail.com
Twitter: @ThePriestesses
Facebook: The Priestesses
Music: Rebecca E. Tripp
Once again, The Priestesses go to the movies! This time, for a look at Anna Biller's occult-inspired tale of nightmarish beauty, The Love Witch. How does fantasy shape desire and love? Does a woman's greatest power really lie in her sexuality? Is that which we call a Jerry by any other name just as sweet? Dear listeners, in this episode, we give the rainbow to you...
Which (witch?) includes some discussion of: Sex magick, love spells, witchcraft, witch tropes, Tarot symbolism, the male/female dichotomy, skeevy covens, fashion, sexual abuse and violence, rape culture, mental illness, enabling, co-dependency, pornography, misogyny/misandry, pleasure, power, sensuality, secrecy, silence, paranoia, and much, much more.
Mailbag:
- The Alphabet Versus the Goddess: The Conflict Between Word and Image, by Leonard Shlain: http://www.alphabetvsgoddess.com/
- Amberthest (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/user/amberthest
- Amberthest (Vid.me): https://vid.me/amberthest
- Jen Shakti: http://www.jenshakti.com/
- Column: Jen Shakti, the Modern Tattoo Shaman (The Wild Hunt): http://wildhunt.org/2017/04/column-jen-shakti-modern-tattoo-shaman.html
Sharing Space:
- A Dragon of a Different Color (Heartstrikers, Book 4), by Rachel Aaron: http://rachelaaron.net/series.php?SID=2
- The Fat Feminist Witch: http://fatfeministwitch.podbean.com/
- Sunstone by shiniez (NSFW): https://shiniez.deviantart.com/
- Xxxenophile (NSFW): http://www.drivethrucomics.com/browse/pub/2464/XXXenophile-Books
- Slipshine (NSFW): https://orgymania.net/
- Filthy Figments (NSFW): http://filthyfigments.com/
Links:
http://www.thepriestesses.com
thepriestesses@gmail.com
Twitter: @ThePriestesses
Facebook: The Priestesses
Music: Rebecca E. Tripp
www.crystalechosound.com
Interfaith communities and interactions. How does that work for Pagans? How can it? In this exciting installment of The Priestesses, Amanda and Jacob discuss their recent and ongoing experiences in the interfaith realm, purpose in action, shared experience, navigating differences, and more. What maddness ensues, dear friends? Pucker up those earholes and find out.
Corrections: Agape is the Greek term for universal love. Jacob mistakenly uses the term "storge" here, which refers to familial love.
Sharing Space:
- Jason Mankey: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/panmankey/
- Inciting a BrewHaHa: https://www.facebook.com/IABHH/
- Inciting a Riot: http://www.incitingariot.com/
- The Girl from the Other Side (manga): http://www.sevenseasentertainment.com/series/the-girl-from-the-other-side-siuil-a-run/
Links:
http://www.thepriestesses.com
thepriestesses@gmail.com
Twitter: @ThePriestesses
Facebook: The Priestesses
Music: Rebecca E. Tripp
www.crystalechosound.com
Body image. Sex. Tattoos. Yes, the gang's back together and laying it down with friend, romance consultant, and sex educator extraordinaire, Michelle.
Sharing Space:
- THINX Period Panties: https://www.shethinx.com/
- The Handmaid's Tale (TV show): https://www.hulu.com/the-handmaids-tale
- The Handmaid's Tale (book): https://www.amazon.com/Handmaids-Tale-Margaret-Atwood/dp/038549081X
- Sex for One: The Joy of Selfloving, by Betty Dodson: https://www.amazon.com/Sex-One-Selfloving-Betty-Dodson/dp/0517886073
- Sexplanations with Dr. Doe (YouTube channel): https://www.youtube.com/user/sexplanations
- Laci Green: Sex Ed for the Internet! (YouTube Channel): https://www.youtube.com/user/lacigreen
- Days for Girls (Feminine Hygiene Kit): https://www.daysforgirls.org/whats-in-a-kit
- Noel'le Longhaul: http://www.noellelonghaul.com/
- The Sex MD (Madeleine M Castellanos, MD), The Sex & Sxuality Blog: http://www.thesexmd.com/blog/
Links:
http://www.thepriestesses.com
thepriestesses@gmail.com
Twitter: @ThePriestesses
Facebook: The Priestesses
Music: Rebecca E. Tripp
www.crystalechosound.com
Touch, intimacy, pleasure, and... Pagans? Why, yes! In this episode, Amanda and Jacob get physical with their friends (and wide-ranging community veterans), River and Wee Bee, for a deep-tissue discussion about the power of touch, getting hands-on at pagan events, nudity, sex, consent culture, boundaries, communication, making connections, trust, vulnerability, ritual, skin hunger, and so much more. Can you feel it?
Sharing Space:
- Wisteria (community): https://www.wisteria.org/
- Show some love for your local Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) group.
Links:
http://www.thepriestesses.com
thepriestesses@gmail.com
Twitter: @ThePriestesses
Facebook: The Priestesses
Music: Rebecca E. Tripp
www.crystalechosound.com
For this deep, interfaith discussion on the nature and problem of evil, we're joined by Dr. Charlene P.E. Burns, Christian theologian and Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Pagans, polytheists, pantheists, panenetheists, witches, and all the other pwords deal with the challenges of evil and suffering as much as anyone. How do we address that within ourselves, our communities, and across faiths? Where do our traditions stand on the problem of evil? What kind of theo/alogies might we develop? Where does evil come from? How do we even know what "evil" is?
Along the journey, we also talk about: Concepts of evil, absolutism, personal responsibility, meaning and suffering, modern Paganism's challenges with evil, human capacity and potential, ahistorical romanticism, the psychological shadow, roles we play, natural evil, The Fifth Element (film), interconnectedness, dual inclinations, Christian (and other) perspectives on evil, where evil comes from, The Book of Job, Satan/Mara/Devil figures, popular concepts of evil, the role of spirits/demons/monsters, predestination and choice, the influence of other religious traditions on modern Paganism, the concept of karma, divine justice and responsibility, merit and punishment, spiritual development, animal suffering, daily challenges, and so very much more.
Sharing Space:
- The Witch’s Guide to Etiquette: Avoiding Witch Wars, by Laura Tempest Zakroff: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/tempest/2017/04/the-witchs-guide-to-etiquette.html
- Christian Understandings of Evil: The Historical Trajectory, by Charlene P.E. Burns: http://fortresspress.com/product/christian-understandings-evil-historical-trajectory#
- More Moral than God: Taking Responsibility for Religious Violence, by Charlene P.E. Burns: https://rowman.com/ISBN/9780742558687/More-Moral-than-God-Taking-Responsibility-for-Religious-Violence
- Divine Becoming: Rethinking Jesus and Incarnation, by Charlene P.E. Burns: http://www.augsburgfortress.org/store/product/2405/Divine-Becoming?infoID=9483
- Yuri On Ice: http://www.crunchyroll.com/yuri-on-ice
- American Gods (book): http://www.neilgaiman.com/works/Books/American+Gods/
- American Gods (TV): https://www.starz.com/series/americangods/episodes
- Mystery Science Theater 3000: http://www.mst3k.com/
- Tsugumomo: http://www.crunchyroll.com/tsugumomo
- Your Name: https://www.funimationfilms.com/movie/yourname/
- Coconut Brownies: Please check out the blog! :)
Links:
http://www.thepriestesses.com
thepriestesses@gmail.com
Twitter: @ThePriestesses
Facebook: The Priestesses
Music: Rebecca E. Tripp
www.crystalechosound.com
In this impromptu episode, Amanda and Jacob sit down with friend-of-the-show Amy to belatedly talk about their experiences this year at Paganicon 2017. Along the way, there's talk about: Ritual experience in a convention setting, sound work, Wendy Rule, Kari Tauring, Laura Tempest Zakroff, The Nathaniel Johnstone Band (and Dogwood), boundaries, costuming, musical performances, intensity, personal and spiritual safety, mental health, spiritual growth, trauma, aftercare, being in your body, movement, getting out of the ordinary, academic tracks, doing research, choosing panels, scheduling, Volkhvy, John the Verbose, Jason Mankey, The Horned God, understanding deity in the past and the present, and much more.
Sharing Space:
- Jason Mankey: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/panmankey/
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/tags?q=raise-the-horns-radio
- Sherry Merriam, Mark J. Engstrom-Reese, and Alex Iantaffi
- Sydney Bell: http://www.sydneybell.ca/
- Mambo Chita Tann: http://legba.biz/mambo-t/
- Tamara L. Siuda: http://tamarasiuda.com/
- Laura Tempest Zakroff: http://www.lauratempestzakroff.com/
- The Nathaniel Johnstone Band: http://nathanieljohnstone.com/
- Wendy Rule: https://wendyrule.com/
- Kari Tauring: http://karitauring.com/
- John the Verbose: https://www.youtube.com/user/brojoghost
- Kelden Mercury: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkKGM9MKUq2PbSaPtY8VLKQ
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/byathameandstang/
- David Salsbury: https://www.daviddsalisbury.com/
- Shauna Aura Knight: http://www.shaunaauraknight.com/
- Paul B. Rucker: http://www.paulruckerart.com/
- Twin Cities Pagan Pride: http://tcpaganpride.org/
- Paganicon: http://www.paganicon.org/
Links:
http://www.thepriestesses.com
thepriestesses@gmail.com
Twitter: @ThePriestesses
Facebook: The Priestesses
Music: Rebecca E. Tripp
www.crystalechosound.com
In this exciting installment about syncretism, borrowing, and appropriation, we're joined by our scientist-friend and "experienced witch," Gary. What are some of the things Pagans have taken from elsewhere? What makes something "appropriation?" When is it ethical to borrow? If we're coming from another faith, tradition, or practice, what do we bring with us into Paganism that we maybe thought we'd left behind? Along the journey, we also touch on: The pitfalls of intent, issues of identity, learning and exchange, multicultural influences, supersession, our relationship and responsibility to what we take, trends in contemporary Pagan traditions, re-interpreting deities, the importance of honesty, reinventing the wheel, tradition vs. clean slate, co-creation, leftovers, looking forward with intent, and much, much more.
Sharing Space:
- Beaver Creek Reserve (Fall Creek, WI): https://www.beavercreekreserve.org/
- USGS North American Bird Banding Program: https://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/bbl/
- Arcane Perfection: An Anthology by Queer, Trans & Intersex Witches: http://www.cutlinespress.com/articles/26/arcane-perfection-an-anthology-by-queer-trans-intersex-witches
- The Heartstrikers (series), by Rachel Aaron: http://rachelaaron.net/series.php?SID=2
- Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid: http://www.crunchyroll.com/miss-kobayashis-dragon-maid
- Lady Althaea: http://www.ladyalthaea.com/
Links:
http://www.thepriestesses.com
thepriestesses@gmail.com
Twitter: @ThePriestesses
Facebook: The Priestesses
Music: Rebecca E. Tripp
www.crystalechosound.com
For this difficult episode, we're joined by our close friend, Panentheistic Pagan, and UU clergy member, Julie. We start out talking a bit about the beginnings of activism in the Pagan community, then roll into exploring where Pagans fall on the political spectrum and why. From there, we talk about: Pagan demographics, magickal activism, the difficulties of effecting change, mixing politics and religion, setting an example, the imperative of activism, interconnectedness and fundamental rights, the growing appeal of Paganism, how we're seen by society, living our values, how we're politically active, the problems with complacency, getting involved, establishing safe spaces, cognitive dissonance, fostering communication and understanding, the keys of leadership, being informed, how the current political climate affects us, the individual and society, and much, much more.
Sharing Space:
- Rules For Rulers (CGP Grey): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rStL7niR7gs&t=385s
- The Dictator's Handbook: Why Bad Behavior is Almost Always Good Politics by Bruce Bueno de Mesquita and Alastair Smith: https://www.amazon.com/Dictators-Handbook-Behavior-Almost-Politics/dp/1610391845/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1490588281&sr=8-8&keywords=dictator
- Laura Tempest Zakroff: http://www.lauratempestzakroff.com/
http://www.owlkeyme.com/
http://www.moderntraditionalwitch.com/
http://www.darklydramatic.com/
http://www.magodjinn.com/
- Laura Perry: http://www.lauraperryauthor.com/
http://www.lauraperryauthor.com/ariadnes-thread
http://www.minoantarot.com/
- STUFFandThings: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyzAMeGkT4N82NXOXN584aw
- Review: Midori Traveler's Notebook (A Man's Perspective): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBRjYNQ1qio
Links:
Website: www.thepriestesses.com
Email: thepriestesses@gmail.com
Twitter: @ThePriestesses
Facebook: The Priestesses
Music: Rebecca E. Tripp (www.crystalechosound.com)
This short bonus episode features a talk by Jacob, given in November 2016 at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. In it, he talks a bit about coming to Pagan theism, the strength of love, the need for justice, the power of community, and more. We'll be back with new full-length episodes in March! In the meantime, we hope you enjoy!
Website: www.thepriestesses.com
Email: thepriestesses@gmail.com
Twitter: @ThePriestesses
Facebook: The Priestesses
Music: Rebecca E. Tripp (www.crystalechosound.com)
In this episode, we talk with our friend and völva, Bethany, about connecting with our ancestors. Along the way, we spiral into a little happy chaos about: Family history, roots, ancestry, Kari Tauring, Völva Stav, öorlag (the work of healing the generations), leaving a legacy, cultural heritage. foodways, cultural or community ancestors, working in dreamtime, journaling, ancestor dolls, the Nordic Women's Retreat, collecting stories, how we came to be in the moment, days and holidays for honoring ancestors, if you have to be Pagan or not to work with your ancestors, ways to dispose of offering, connecting to ancestors through deities, reincarnation, one soul vs. plural souls, the accessibility of the ancestors, and much more.
More on öorlog: http://karitauring.com/oorlog-and-wyrd/
More on Völva Stav and Völva: http://karitauring.com/volva-stav/
Website: www.thepriestesses.com
Email: thepriestesses@gmail.com
Twitter: @ThePriestesses
Facebook: The Priestesses
Music: Rebecca E. Tripp (www.crystalechosound.com)
In the first half of this episode, we talk about the concept of loose ends - those things left unsaid, undone, or unfulfilled in life and what we can do about them. Along the way, we talk about: Change, loss, death, endings, closure moving on, leaving things unsaid and/or undone, cycles, seasons (especially the challenges of Winter), energy changes, Wisconsin weather, reflection, comfort in stillness, setting goals, hitting limits, mind/body/spirit, magick brownies, making (hard) choices, responsibility, the resource of time, discerning what's important, the will of the gods, the role of fate, balancing positivity and negativity, interconnectedness, and more.
In the second half, we address questions surrounding some of our previous episodes, including: Identity politics, non-binary Paganism, T. Thorn Coyle, Lasara Firefox Allen, the challenges of magick (especially love spells), intentional and unintentional magick, influence and control, fairy tales, who owns holidays (and what they mean), what to do when our deities fail us, relationships with the divine, and much more.
Website: www.thepriestesses.com
Email: thepriestesses@gmail.com
Twitter: @ThePriestesses
Facebook: The Priestesses
Music: Rebecca E. Tripp (www.crystalechosound.com)